While some think you’re able to “make a cult film,” this sentiment misses the mark on what itmeans to be given the moniker of a cult classic. There is no exact formula, but it is a matter of time and potential fandom keeping the movie in discussion long after its release. Of course, some movies are easier to predict than others, given the talent behind them or the initial reception, but ultimately, time will tell if a movie can become a cult classic.
Comedy cult classics are a special breed. More often than not, they are box office bombs that find a life on home video as the comedy might have not been appreciated or understood by mainstream audiences but appreciated greatly by a loyal fanbase. Films likeThe Big Lebowski, Office Space, andHarold and Maudefit this bill. There have been plenty of modern comedies that underperformed or outright bombed at the box office that have since found a second life on streaming and, over the years, have grown to find more audiences year after year. Here are fifteen films we believe to have the potential, for one reason or another, to withstand the test of time and keep a dedicated audience.
Update July 13, 2025: This article has been updated with even more comedies that have the potential to become cult hits and also where each title is streaming.
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Lisa Frankenstein
Kicking off our list is the newest film and one that is sadly bombing at the box office.Lisa Frankenstein, written by Academy-Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody and the feature-length debut for Zelda Williams, is a dark comedy that follows Lisa Swallow (Kathryn Newton), a goth teenager who accidentally brings to life the corpse of a Victorian boy (Cole Sprouse). The two bring out both the best and sometimes the worst in each other, as this dark comedy features vomit, murder, sisterly bonds, and a sweet teen romance. An odd pairing but one that is rolled up into a delightful film.
A Cult Classic In The Making
Lisa Frankensteinseemed to be destined for cult status from the moment it hit theaters. The movie opened to avery disappointing $3.8 million over Super Bowl weekendand then fell to ninth place in its second weekend. Reviews were also mixed for the movies. However, this is almost a beat-for-beat pattern that played out with Diablo Cody’s other supernatural-themed comedy,Jennifer’s Body, back in 2009. That film has since become a cult classic and it appears so willLisa Frakenstein. With its 80’s aesthetic that feels like a cross betweenHeathers, Edward Scissorhands,andNear Dark,Lisa Frankensteinwill certainly find its audience in due time.Lisa Frankensteinis currently playing in theaters.
Frances Ha (2013)
Frances Ha
Frances Hatells the story of Frances (Greta Gerwig), a woman in her quarter-life crisis. While everyone around her starts getting paired and knowing what they want from their lives, Frances is still a confused mess, making worse and worse decisions. Noah Baumbach’s film focuses on character development rather than offering a traditional sequence of events.
Greta Gerwig’s Breakout Comedy
This film was Gerwig’s breakout role, one she co-wrote with director Noah Baumbach, and it worked because of her performance. Her Frances is all joy and enthusiasm for life, whatever the circumstances, making audiences root for her from start to finish. In addition, the movie paints a picture ofhow hard life can be in New York. This might not be a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it has as many heartfelt moments that when it makes you smile, you do it with all your heart. Still, boasting such a strong performance from Gerwig, who is only on the rise in Hollywood, will make people want to come back and discover or revisit the film.StreamFrances Haon Netflix.
Greener Grass (2019)
Greener Grassfollows two soccer moms, Jill and Lisa, locked in a passive-aggressive battle in a satirical idealized vision of suburbia. The conflict starts between the two after one requests to have the baby of the other, which is an obliged request later made with regret after the woman’s other child turns into a dog—a series of bizarre comedic events showing the peculiar life of two families trying to thrive and become the ideal nuclear family.
The Suburban Dream Turned Surreal Nightmare
Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe’sGreener Grasscreates a wonderfully surrealdystopian suburbiawith many wonderfully absurd moments. From a song turning into a dog, much to the happiness of a father previously upset at his son’s lack of athletic skills, to bizarre television programs, including “Kids with Knives,” which instantly turns any child violent after watching it. The film has plenty of moments that will resonate with audiences for its clever satire of suburbia or its over-the-top scenarios. It also helps that the movie has non-stop humor and is ideal for multiple watches to take it all in.Stream on Tubi.
Related:Best Comedy Movies on Tubi to Watch Right Now
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Everybody Wants Some!!
Everybody Wants Some!!is Richard Linklater’s spiritual sequel toDazed and Confused.This time, the story is in the 1980s. It is about Jake (Blake Jenner), a baseball player arriving at college and spending his first weekend there with his new teammates. The movie also emphasizes the time of personal exploration when one is given both the freedoms and responsibilities of an unsupervised life.
The Spiritual Successor to the Hit Coming-of-Age Comedy Dazed and Confused
Like any Linklater film, the vibe and the “I would hang out with these people” lovability make the movie a fun way to spend a couple of hours. The movie has a fantastic cast (also believable baseball players), from Jenner to Zoey Deutch, as the love interest, TV’s Superman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Ryan Guzman, and Glen Powell in his breakout role. It is a perfect follow-up to Linklater’scoming-of-agecomedy, and one can see it reaching the same cult status with time.Rent/Purchase Everybody Wants Some on AppleTV+, Vudu, Google Play, and Prime Video.
Psycho Goreman (2020)
Psycho Goreman
After unearthing a gem that controls an evil monster looking to destroy the Universe, a young girl and her brother use it to make him do their bidding.
A galactic conqueror has landed on Earth and is determined to end humanity violently and brutally; unfortunately, the gem that controls his powers is in the hands of a bratty, outspoken girl who instead wants the monster to become her friend. As Psycho Goreman, or PG for short, gets to know his family, he does not lose his murderous ways but plays the role with the hopes of eventually destroying everything, with maybe the exception of ‘hunky boys.’
Your Friendly Neighborhood Galactic Tyrant
Psycho Goremanlives up to its name with a massive amount of gory chaos throughout, yet its comedic approach makes itbetter suited for cult comedy versus cult horror. PG can go from ripping a foe in half to an unwilling babysitter who constantly wishes death among those he is watching over. Director Steven Kotanski has already begun to garner a cult following early in his career, having worked on films likeManborgandThe Void, giving more credence toPsycho Goremanhaving that potential to become a timeless cult classic. In addition, the movie is chock-full of great one-liners and quotable dialogue that will always help create a dedicated following.StreamPsycho Goremanon AMC+.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Andy Samberg, Akiva Shaffer, and Jorma Taccone are The Lonely Island comedy group, and they started to get noticed doing digital shorts onSaturday Night Live.After that, they had great success with parody songs and movies.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingmight be the best of them all. This comedy makes fun of the egotistical, dumb pop stars and the world of yes-men surrounding them. Andy Samberg gives a great performance as Conner, being the butt of the joke, but the film also has some heart, as it becomes a story about friendship. There are a thousand jokes per minute, and most of them are hilarious, but what makes the film even better is the dumb songs Conner sings, from “I’m So Humble” to “Bin Laden” and, especially, “Incredible Thoughts,” proving that all the hilarious ideas they had in theirSNLdays, are still there, and making for one of the funniest movies (and kind of musicals) in the last decade.
The Incredibly Hilarious Rise of a Pop Idol
Theatrically, the film was a flop, grossing just over $9 million against a budget of $20 million, which many attributed to poor advertising focusing too heavily on parodying Justin Bieber. This is similar to the cult comedyOffice Space, which also had terrible marketing but found an audience later, and oncePopstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingfound its way to streaming, it wasembraced by the same audience who loved Lonely Island music in the first place. The movie was still well received due to its absurd comedic beats and the performance from “This Lonely Island Crew,” and much like the group’s previous film, Hot Rod, it is destined to become a bigger cult hit.StreamPopstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingon Hulu
Dave Made a Maze (2017)
After building a fort in his apartment, Dave decides to enter it only to find it has transformed into a labyrinth with a cardboard Minotaur resting in the middle. As Dave’s friends show up to check on their friend, they learnhe has become trapped and decide to enter to help save him. The maze begins to reflect Dave’s personal life problems that led him to construct the fort in the first place.
A Very Crafty Comedy
Dave Made a Mazeis a wonderous mix of unique practical effects inspired by crafts and light comedy exploring more profound issues. The touches of surrealism also help give this indie gem a truly unique aesthetic that has earned it a dedicated fan base. With time, we only see fans around the film growing as the comedy is easily accessible and has an infectious sense of humor waiting for a larger audience to dig in. Nick Thune is great as Dave, and the supporting cast, including indie standouts like Meera Rohit Kumbhani and Adam Busch, further add to its charm and cult potential.Stream Dave Made a Maze on Prime Video.
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Sorry to Bother You
A surrealist comedy making fun of capitalism and how the game is rigged for Black people? In this world? It makes sense thatSorry to Bother Youwill become a cult classic for criticizing cultural elements still discussed today. The movie follows Cassius “Cash” Green, a black telemarketer who is swept into a corporate conspiracy and must choose between profit or joining his activist friends.
Social Commentary Meets Satire
This capitalist satire movie is a must-watch, not only for its great story, where a Black man (LaKeith Stanfield) becomes a success story in telemarketing when he starts using his “white voice”, but also for the twist the film has at the end, and a more than stacked cast. Stanfield is the lead as Cassius Green, and he’s supported by Tessa Thompson, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, Terry Crews, and Omari Hardwick. This was Boots Riley’s first film, and we can’t recommend his next project enough, the TV seriesI’m a Virgo.Stream Sorry to Bother You on Mubi.
Relaxer (2018)
A young slacker, Abbie, is given the ultimate challenge from his overbearing brother Cam; to beat level 256 of Pacman. Stuck on the couch, unable to move until achieving the goal, Abbie ends up dedicated to his task, even after abuse from his brother, friends, and the end of the world itself. The movie also uses moments of surrealism to highlight the bizarre journey of the uncharismatic gamer.
The Ultimate Slacker Comedy
Slacker comedies have a long history of becoming cult classics; fromClerkstoOffice Space, celebrating the casual and unproductive has been an excellent formula for reaching notoriety. While Joel Potrykus has already released other movies to a niche audience, includingBuzzardandThe Alchemist Cookbook,Relaxerhas the potential to gain more of a cult fanbase with time, given how overlyindulgent it is in the slacker lifestyle,with the couch-bound gamer being the center for the entire film. In addition, the movie includes David Dastmalchian as the mean-spirited brother, with the actor only furthering his cult following with each release, makingRelaxera film that people will watch because of his inclusion.StreamRelaxeron Tubi.
Related:The Most Underrated Dark Comedy Movies, Ranked
Booksmart (2019)
Booksmarttells the story of Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), two model students who, the day before graduation, discover that all their schoolmates are also going to excellent colleges while also having had extraordinary social lives full of fun experiences in the last four years. This discovery makes Molly and Amy have one last crazy night as students, where they’ll try to have as many unique teenage experiences as possible. The script that became this film had already garnered some attention on the Black List, and the direction of first-time director Olivia Wilde made it even better. The chemistry between the two leads is unbelievably good, and it’sone of the best movies that passed the Bechdel Test.
One Crazy Night
Feldstein and Dever go all in on making their quirky characters as authentic as possible, and the ensemble is full of actors who have done great things since, from Mason Gooding to Skyler Gisondo, Diana Silvers, Molly Gordon and Billie Lourd in a scene-stealing performance. All these ingredients make for a future cult classic, one of the best.Booksmartwas buried on its release among other competing blockbusters likeJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - ParabellumandAladdin, which also led to discussions about whether the film should have stuck to a streaming release in which it did garner more of an audience for its expressive characters and intelligent reflection on youthful desires after underperforming at the box office.Rent/Purchase Booksmart on AppleTV+, Vudu, Google Play, and Prime Video.
